Sifter



i- 1939- I N. F. LINGLE 2,168,136

SIFTER Filed May 4, 1938 v WW Patented Aug. 1, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SIFTEIt Nona F. Lingle, Flint, Mich.

Application May 4, 1988, Serial No. 206,053

6' Claims.

This invention relates to an electrically operatedsifter designed primarily for use in sifting flour, but it is to be understood that a sifter, in accordance with this invention is for use in any connection for which it maybe found applicable. The invention has for its object to provide, in a manner as hereinafter set forth, a sifter of the class referred to including a screen or-filter member, a. rotatable operating shaft having an agitator attached to its inner end for travelling permanently against the upper face of the screen or filter member and a mixing blade on the shaft above the agitator, the latter and the blade are .bodily carried in unison by 'the shaft and coact to provide an expeditious and satisfactory sifting action.

A further object of the invention is to provide, in a manner as hereinafter set forth, .a sifter including a screen or filter member and a rotatable agitator permanently travelling on the upper face of said member for forcing the material to be sifted through said member.

Further objects of the invention are to provide, in a manner as hereinafter set forth, a sifter for the purpose referred to whichis simple in its construction and. arrangement, strong, durable, compact, readily assembled, thoroughly efficient in its use, conveniently handled and comparatively inexpensive to manufacture.

Embodying the objects aforesaid, and to others which may hereinafter appear, the invention consists of the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be more specifically referred to and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein is shown embodiments of the invention, but it is to be understood that changes, variations and modifications may be resorted to which fall within the scope of the invention as claimed.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a sifter, in accordance with this invention of the unit type,

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view thereof,

Figures 3, 4 and 5 are respectively sections on line 3-3, 4-.4, and 55, Figure 2,

Figure 6 is a section on line 66, Figure 1, and

Figure '7 is a side elevation of a modified form.

With reference to Figures 1 to 6, the sifter includes a closed housing 1 formed of an intermediate tubular section 8 open at its top and bottom, a hollow inverted cup-shaped top section 9 and a hollow cup-shaped bottom section II]. The sections 9, H] are closed at their outer and opened at their inner ends. The diameters of section 9 are greater than the diameters of the sections 9, Ill. The section 8 has a reduced inset lower part II which provides a peripheral shoulder l 2. The upper end of section 8 is formed with a vertical groove l3 opening at its top edge.

The lower end of section 9 is formed with a ver- F reduced part It of section 8 and abuts shoulder [3. When sections 8, 9 are disposed in telescopic arrangement the insert part M of section 9 extends into and coacts with the groove [3 for latching such sections together in a manner to prevent one revolving about the other.

The sections 8, ill have peripheral laterally extending handles l5, l6 respectively. The section 9 has secured thereto and extending upwardly therefrom a handle l'l. Arranged within the section 8 is a sieve or filter member l8 formed of a circular concaved body part l9 and an annular depending flange 20. The latter is secured to the inner face part II throughout the latter and is flush with the bottom edge of section 8. ranged and suspended within the section 9 is an electric motor 2|. Spaced holdfast means22 depend from the top of section 9 and are secured to the motor housing 23. Encompassing the 'means 22 and interposed. between the motor housing 23 and the top of section Ill are spacers 24. The section 8 provides a'portable-sieve carrier and holder for the flour to be sifted, the section,9 av portable motor carrier and the section It] a portable receiver for the sifted flour.

The sifter includes an operating shaft 25 and as shown is the shaft of thevmotor 2| which is extended from the latter to an extent to depend into the section 8. The shaft 25 has anchored thereto a skeleton rigid mixer 26 and a resilient skeleton agitator 21. The mixer 26 is of oval contour and consists of a pair of oppositely disposed radially extending semi-oval shaped blades 28 open at their inner ends. These latter merge into a pair of. spaced aligned superposed collars 29 which are mounted on and secured-to the shaft corresponding to a segment of a circle and of a length slightly less than the diameter of the body part [9 of the sieve member l8, a pair of upstanding side portions 33 and a pair of top portions 34 which extend inwardly from the upper ends of the side portions 34 and are secured to opposite sides of the collar 30. The portions 32, 33 and 34 are of circular contour in cross section. When the agitator 2! is active the bottom portion 32 thereof travels directly on the upper face of member l8, and is held in such position by the weight of the motor 2| and top section 9. The agitator 21 is permanently spaced from the mixer 26. The portions of the mixer and the agitator are of rod or bar like form. The body of the agitator is of. greater thickness than the body of the mixer. The circuit connections for the motor 2| are designated 35.

The modified form 36 of the sifter as shown in Figure '7 is of the same construction as the device shown in Figure l, with this exception that the top section of the housing and the motor carried by such section are dispensed with. The housing 31 of the device 36 is open at its top and formed of an upper section 38 open at its upper and lower ends, and a closed bottom and open top lower section 39. The operating shaft 40 of the device extends from and is driven from a point remote from the section 39 by way of example from the driving means of the mixing sets now in general use whereby the device may constitute oneof the elements of such sets. Otherwise than that as stated the construction of the device 36 will conform to the form of sifter shown by Figure 1. The mixer and agitator of the device 36 are designated 4|, 42 respectively.

What I claim is:

1. A sifter including a tubular section open at each end, a sieve arranged in said section, a removable cup-shaped section mounted on and depending from said tubular section, a rotatable operating shaft extending into said tubular section, an agitator bodily carried with said shaft and traveling against the upper face of said sieve, a mixer bodily carried with such shaft arranged in said tubular section above said agitator,

' an inverted cup-shaped carrier removably mounted on and extending upwardly from said tubular section, and an electric motor within and suspended from said carrier and connected to and driving said shaft.

2. A sifter including a tubular section open at each end, a sieve arranged in said section, a removable cup-shaped section mounted on and depending from said tubular section, a rotatable operating shaft extending into said tubular section, an agitator bodily carried with said shaft and travelling against the upper face of said sieve, a mixer bodily carried with such shaft arranged in said tubular section above said agitator, an inverted cup-shaped carrier removably mounted on and extending upwardly from said tubular section, and an electric motor within and suspended from said carrier and connected to and driving said shaft, said sections and carrier each provided with a handle.

3. A sifter including a tubular section open at each end, a sieve arranged in said section, a removable cup-shaped section mounted on and depending from said tubular section, a rotatable operating shaft extending into said tubular section, an agitator bodily carried with said shaft and travelling against the upper face of said sieve, a mixer bodily carried with such shaft arranged in said tubular section above said agitator, an inverted cup-shaped carrier removably mounted on and extending upwardly from said tubular section, an electric motor Within and suspended from said carrier and connected to and driving said shaft, and said carrier and tubular section having coacting means for latching them together to prevent the revolving of one relative to the other.

4. In a sifter, a tubular section open at each end, a removable cup shaped section removably mounted on the lower portion of and depending from said other section, a rotatable shaft depending into said tubular section, a horizontally disposed oval-shaped skeleton mixer of loop-like form arranged in said tubular section, said mixer being secured at its vertical ymedian to and through which extends said shaft, a vertically disposed annular flange secured to the lower portion of the inner face of said tubular section, a circular concaved foraminous sieve member merging at its edge into'the upper end of the said flange, a skeleton agitator of loop-like form within the tubular section below said mixer and being formed of a horizontally disposed upper portion, a pair of upstanding side portions and.

a horizontally disposed resilient lower portion *1 spaced from said upper portion and in the form of a segment of a circle for wiping the upper face of said body part, and said shaft having its lower end fixed to the said upper portion at the vertical median of the latter.

5. In a sieve, a cylindrical structure formed of a plurality of detachable connected interengaging sections, said structure being formed with a closed lower end, a sievemember arranged within and fixedly secured to an upper section of said structure, a shaft depending into said structure to a point above said member, an agitator of loop-like form having a horizontally disposed upper portion, a pair of vertically disposed side portions and a resilient horizontally disposed lower portion for wiping the upper face of said member, said side portions merging at their upper ends into the ends of said upper portion and at their lower ends intothe ends of said lower portion, and said shaft having its lower end fixedly secured to said upper portion at the vertical median of the latter.

6. The invention as set forth in claim 4 having the body of the mixer of rectangular contour in transverse cross section, the body of the agitator of circular'contour in transverse cross section, and the body of the agitator being of greater t'mckness than the body of the mixer. 

